Midland hauliers: ‘Driverless convoys are wishful thinking’ Bosses say ‘platooning’ of lorries on UK roads is not feasible for smaller firms
MIDLANDS haulage firms have dubbed plans to introduce driverless lorries as “pie in the sky”.
They say the move simply viable for smaller companies.
And while driverless lorries may work in Australia and America, where the open road stretches for hundreds of miles, they would struggle on the UK’s clogged, stop-start motorways.
Last week it was revealed that the scheme is to be trialled in this country, with unmanned HGVs travelling in platoons.
Trials are expected to take place on the M6 in Cumbria, with vehicles in convoy headed by a driver in the leading lorry.
“It’s scary,” said Ernest Hunphreys, managing director of H Lloyd Ltd, in Lifford Lane, Kings Norton, Birmingham. If you have three big lorries travelling into Birmingham, they are going to struggle.
“Also, we drive to some places and have to wait for loading bays to become empty.
“Then there’s a low bridge near our company and about four HGVs a day have to turn back because they can’t get under it. I think it will be a case of ‘suck it and see’. ”
A Daimler-developed driverless lorry has already been tested on Germany’s autobahns, and the scheme has been cautiously backed by the is not Birmingham-based Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
Nick Lloyd, road safety manager at RoSPA, said: “RoSPA supports the multi-stage approach being adopted in this trial, with each phase of testing only beginning if evidence shows that it can be done safely. We believe that, in addition to environmental benefits, vehicles travelling in a controlled platoon could also enhance road safety, but the system clearly requires careful research, planning and testing.” pallet networks, but not general mileage. The big companies will welcome it because it will slash overheads.”
Chris Jolly, managing director at Halletts Birmingham, based in Nechells, said: “I think they will make it happen, but at present it’s wishful thinking. It’s going to be difficult to make it happen because there are too many practical issues on site.”
But veteran trucker Dave Crampton, of DC Haulage, Birmingham, believes driverless lorries are the future. He said: “They’ve already done it with cars. And they may be safer than having humans behind the wheel.”
The £8.1 million “platooning” trial will see up to three HGVs travelling Owners of companies in the Midin convoy, with acceleration and lands haulage network are conbraking controlled by the lead vehivinced it is not forcle.them,however.
James Hamer of Dudley-based Funded by the Department for Hamer Transport said: “It may work Transport and Highways England, for the big companies such as Eddie the trial will be carried out by the Stobart and DHL on long runs and Transport Research Laboratory.